Lamp-working apparatus.



T. G. LUGE.

LAMP WORKING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 22, 1910.

3 SHEBTSSHEBT 1.

v 7 a 3.53% (14301 11 v T. G. LUCE.

LAMP WORKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED mum. 1910.

Patented Jan 17, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

T. G. LUGE.

LAMP WORKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1910.

981,664. Patented Jan. 17,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

V r --W gl zialitozm 1-, I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS C. LUGE, 0F DALTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO LUGE MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF DALTON, MASSACH USETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

LAMP-WORKING APIBARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. LUOE, of Dalton, Berkshire county, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lamp-Working Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in lamp working apparatus, which apparatus is adapted to be attached to vehicles and especially automobiles, so as to direct the lamp or head-light in a way to have the'rays follow the direction of the wheels as the latter are steered, instead of following the course of the vehicle body.

My invention is especially intended to produce a device which can be attached to any ordinary form of car, and which can be adjusted so as to give the desired amount of throw or turn to the lamp but provides for a certain amount of lost motion so that slight movements in the steering apparatus will not be transmitted to the lamps, and which if desired provides for throwing the light around more rapidly during the first part of the steering stroke than during the latter part, and which also provides means for easily putting the lamp out of gear so that during the daytime the lamp will not turn with the steering apparatus.

I also provide a device which permits of adjustment to fit different sizes of lamps and also permits of lateral adjustment of the lamp itself in relation to the mud guard of the machine, if found necessary.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification. in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing. my apparatus as applied to a car. Fig. 2 is a detail section on the line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top View of the apparatus showing the clamping plate. Fig. 4; is a side view of the apparatus with the face plate removed. Fig. 5 is an inside view of the face plate. Fig. 6 is a detail of the steering links. Fig. 7 is a detail of a universal joint on the connecting rod. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the face plate with the steering links removed. Fig. 9 is a cross sec tion of a preferred form of the to of the apparatus. Fig. 10 is a top view of a plate carrying the pinion in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a sectional view of a preferred form of connecting the crank with the steering link, and Fig. 12 is a top View of the locking springs.

In the drawing, Fig. 1, I have shown the ordinary steering crank 10 and rod 11 which are common to most makes of cars and form no part of my invention. Also the usual car frame 12 to which the lamp is attached. As the frame 12 varies in shape in dilferent makes of cars, in some the lamp can be attached to a horizontal part of the frame and in others it' must be attached to-a curved part. The lamp in my device is designed to fit any make of car, and I have therefore made provision for securing the lamp in a vertica position whether the frame is horizontal where the lamp is attached or whether it is curved. The body of the apparatus is secured to the car frame by the clips 13, 14 and 15. These clips have hooked ends adapted to engage the inner edges of the car frame 12, and are clamped in place by nuts 18*, 14* and 15*. In order that the lamp may be supported on a curved part of the-frame in an upright position, I have provided a curved slot 16 'in which the clip 14: may be adjusted up or down before the nut 14* is tightened so as to hold the apparatus in a vertical position. I have also provided a slot 17 so that the clip 15 may be adjusted to frames of'difi'erent widths. The lamp bracket proper is composed of two arms 18 and.18 which are held vertically in position by being clamped between the plate 19 and the top of the apparatus 24 by the screws 19. This method of securing the arms of the bracket allows not only for adjustment to fit different sizes of lamps, but also makes it possible to shift the lamp sidewise in order to avoid the mud guard if necessary.

The lamp is operated by means of the link 20 which is connected to the steering rod 11 by the rod 21. The rod 21 is secured to the rod 11 by means of a two-part coupling which is clamped to the rod 11, and the rod 21 is connected to the coupling 22 by means of a universal joint 21 as shown in Fi 7, and this joint provides for lateral ad ustment of the rod 21 which may be necessary in some makes of cars. The manner in which the link 20 is connected to the apparatus will be presently described.

The main part of the device is composed of a top rotatable part 24 and a body portion 25'. ,rr-beveled-rpinion 26 is secured to the lower part of the top part 24 by screws 27;, and a second beveled pinion 28 is secured to a vertical part of the body portion by the screw 29. This pinion 28 turns on the base 1 the pivot30 and is pressed by the semicircular spring 30 which is. secured to the face of the pinion by screws 30 A post 3O is provided on the face of the pinion to give added lateral support to the spring pressed arm-30. A face-plate 37 is secured to the side of the body portion 25 by bolts, and this plate 37 supports an eccentric bearing '34 in its center, a crank 32 being journaled in the eccentric bearing, said crank having .an inner arm 31 and an outer arm 32 integral therewith. The eccentric hearing is split as shown in Fig. 8 to allow for the introduction of the crank 32, and is held together by the sleeve 55.

The eccentric bearing 34 carries an arm.

35 rigidly secured thereto onthe outside of the face plate 37. Near the ends of the arm 35 is a spring-pressed pin '36 adapted to engage indentations 37 (see Fig. 8) in the outer surface of the plate 37. There are two indentations 37 on the plate 37 as shown in Fig. 8, so as to support the arm 35 firmly in place when the crank 32 is either raised or lowered by .the rotation of the eccentric bearing 34. Supported on the eccentric bearing 34 on the inside of the face plate 37 (see Fig. 5) is a plate 38 supported vertically by the pins 38, said plate having a perforation 38 near its upper edge. When the arm 35 is rotated as shown in Fig. 8, it will raise or lower the crank 32 and with it the inner arm 31 and the late '38. The top of the inner arm 31 is ove-tail shaped and adapted to engage the dovetailed depression in the spring pressed arm 30 when the arm 31 is raised into position by the eccentric bearing, and it will then retate the beveled gear 28 and with it the gear 26 and the lamp. As the top of the arm 31 which is dove-tailed, is small enough to enter the dove-tailed depression on thespring pressed arm 30, it provides a certain amount of 'lost' motion in the arm 31 which will not be communicated to the pinion 28 and therefore slight movements in the steering apparatus will not tend to rotate the lamp.

A spring 40 is secured between the gear 26 and the top portion 24, and this spring is bent down on each side at 41 to'engage corresponding notches on the top of the gear 26. One end of this spring is ada ted to engage a notch 39 on the inner sur 'ace of the body portion of the'apparalus, and the other end 40 of the spring is adapted to engage a perforation 38 in the plate 38. A second spring riveted to the first (see Fig. 12) is provided, the outer end of which is-held under the'edge of the body portion. The purpose of the first spring is that when the crank 32 is lowered and with it the plate 38, and the perforation 38 in the plate 38 en gages the end 40 of the spring 40, the spring 40 will be forced down and the bentdown parts on each side of the spring 40 will engage the corresponding indentations on the top of the pinion 26 at 41*, thus looking the pinion 26 firmly in position so that it cannot rotate. W hen this is done the inner arm 31 on the crank 32 is out of contact with the spring-pressed arm 30 on the beveled gear 28, and the crank 32 may then be turned without rotating the lamp. \Vhen the crank 32 is raised by the eccentric hearing 34 and the arm 31 is out of contact and locks with the spring-pressed arm 30, the plate 38 will raise the spring 40 unlocking thebeveled gear 26 so that it may turn with the gear 28. The purpose of the second spring 42 is that While the spring 40 is raised there may be still a slight downward pressure on the beveled gear 26, thus holding the lamp from moving during the lost motion at the dove-tailed joint.

While the springs 40 and 42 will naturally hold the pinion 26 and the upper portion 24 to which the pinion is bolted within the body portion 25, still in order to provide against any possible displacement I provide the screw bolt 55 which screws through the pinion and the top portion and the clamping I plate, and is locked inplace by the nut 55. In Fig. 9 I have shown another way in which the pinion may be secured Within the body portion, and here I secure the plate 46 to the pinion 26 by the screws 27. This plate 46 is scalloped'on its edges at46 "(see Fig. 10) in order that it may be inserted in the top of the body portion 25, and engages the edges of the body portion 47. The top portion 50 inFig. 9 to which-the bracket is clamped, is secured to'the plate 46 by'screws 48. The set screws 49 are provided so that when the screw 48 is tightened the plate 46 may be so positioned in relation to the plate 50 that the plate 46 will revolve easily within the body portion 25. The springs 40 and .42 are supported in the same'manner as in Fig. 2, between the pinion 26 and the plate 46. v In order to provide for throwing the light around more rapidly during the first part of the steering stroke than durin the latter part, I have provided the lin 20 which is pivoted to the face place by the screw 51, and a second slotted link is pivoted to the link 20 by the screw 52. This second link is adapted to carry in the slot the outer arm 33 which is integral with the crank 32. As shown in Fig. 6, when the link 20 is moved sidewise, the outer arm 33-is revolved by the slotted link 45 more rapidly than the link 20. This also prevents the outer arm .33 from getting on a dead center in relation to the rod 21.

In Fig. 11 I have shown another and preferred method of connecting the outer arm with the link 20. In this figure the outer arm 54 is recessed and is adapted tocontain within. the recessed portion the arm 53 which is pivoted at its lower end to the link 20by the screw 52; This arm 53 will therefore correspond in the operation of the de- Vice to the slotted link 45 and the recessed or chambered arm 54 will correspond to the outer arm 33 and will accom lish the same result as shown in Fig. 6 with the advantage that the arm 53 --is firmly retained in the recessed portion of the arm 54 .and will be dust-proof. It will thus be seen that I provide a mechanismin which the bracket can be changed from a stationary to a rotating one by simply throwing over the arm 35 carryingthe eccentric bearing. This can be done irrespective of the position of either the lamp or the steering mechanism of the car. If the change is made from a stationary toa movable device, the lamp remains in place until the steering gear straightens when it engages and actuates the bracket.

the car 1s cramped when the changing from a movable to a stationary bracket takes place, the lever is thrown over and the lamp straightened by ,hand and locked in that posltion. l

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In an apparatus-of the kind described, the combination of a lamp bracket, a beveled pinion connected, with the bracket, a second beveled pinion adapted to mesh with the first pinion, a spring pressed arm on the face of the second pinion, a crank having an arm adapted to engage the spring pressed arm, and means for rotating said crank.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described,

the combination of a beveled pinion having a spring pressed arm on its outer surface, a crank 1ournaled man eccentric bearing, sald crank having an inner arm adapted to be brought into engagement with the spring pressed arm, and means for rotating the eccentric bearing. p

3. In an apparatus of the kind described, an eccentric earing, a crank hav'in an inner and an outer 'arm journaled in t e bearing, and an arm rigidly connected with the bearing. 7

4. In an apparatus, of the kind described, an eccentric bearing, a crank journaled in said bearing, a plate carried by said bearing, and means for supporting the plate in a vertical position.

5. An apparatus of the kind described comprising a lamp bracket, a beveled. pinion rigidly connected with the-bracket, a spring supported between the bracket and the pinion, and a movable plate engaging the spring and adapted to clamp the spring against the pinion. I

6. An apparatus of the kind described comprising a beveled pinion, a pivoted spring pressed arm supported on the outersurface and having a dovetailed recess on its lower surface, a crank journaled in .an eccentric bearing, an arm supported on the crank,said arm being dovetailed at its outer end and adapted to be brought into engagein the face plate, a crank journaled in the eccentric bearing, an arm rigidly secured to the bearing, a spring pressed pin in said arm, said pin being adapted to engage depressions in the outer surface of the face plate.

8. In an apparatus of the kind described.

connected withthe steering gear of a vehicle, a second link pivoted to the first link, said second link being slotted and adapted to engage the arm. i Y

9. In an apparatus of the kind described, a face plate, a crank journaled in the face plate, an arm rigidly secured 'to the crank, said arm being recessed, a link pivoted. to the face plate andadapted to, be connected with the steering gear of-a vehicle, and an arm pivoted to the link and adapted to move within the recess of the arm.

10. An apparatus of the kind described comprising a beveled pinion, a pivoted spring pressed arm supported on the outer surface thereof, the arm having a recess in the lower surface thereof, a crankjournaled in an eccentric bearing, and an arm rigidly supported on the crank, said arm" being adapted to be brou ht into engagement at its outer end with t e recess in the spring pressed arm.

THOMAS c. Luca,

Witnesses:

MALVINA B. D FREBUE, Josnrn H. LEWIS.

. a'face plate, acrank journaled in the plate, i an arm rigidly secured to the crank, a link .plvoted to the face plate and adaptedto be 

